Low-carb diet reduces fat deposits around heart, waist circumference

A low-carb diet is better for your heart health and your waistline than a low-fat diet, a new study suggests.

An eating plan that reduces food such as sugary treats, pasta and bread was found to reduce more hidden fat deposits around the heart, a known risk factor for cardiovascular disease.

Israeli researchers also discovered that while people following both diets lost a similar amount of weight, those on a Mediterranean style low-carb plan had a lower waist circumference compared to those on a low-fat plan.

It adds weight to the idea that people with type 2 diabetes could limit their risk for associated heart conditions and long-term complications by following a diet low in carbs.

The study was published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Past research shows that the accumulation of fat in the heart, especially pericardial fat – a small lump of fatty tissue just on the outside of the heart – can increase risks of cardiovascular disease.

A team from the University of the Negev and Soroka University Medical Centre compared the effects of the two diets in an 18-month weight loss study involving 80 obese individuals.

The participants had high waist circumferences and high Body Mass Index (BMIs) at the start of the study. A whole-body MRI was carried out on them to quantify how much intrapericardial fat (IPF) and extrapericardial fat (EPF) they had.

The groups were then split into two and given different dietary plans to follow.

While both groups saw similar weight loss amount, the low-carb group had a lower waist circumference on average.